Tile apparatus with selectively collapsible non-adhesive support system and method of use

ABSTRACT

A tile apparatus for installation on a substrate having a contact adhesive array affixed to the underside of the tile body, the contact adhesive array comprising at least one adhesive feature extending from the underside and defining an array height relative to the underside, and a support system affixed to the underside of the tile body offset from the contact adhesive array, the support system comprising at least one non-adhesive standoff positioned adjacent to the at least one adhesive feature and extending from the underside and defining a standoff height relative to the underside that is greater than the array height, the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system supporting the tile body and being selectively slidable relative to the substrate upon application of a lateral force to the tile body and selectively collapsible upon application of a collapsing force to the tile body toward the substrate.

BACKGROUND

The subject of this patent application relates generally to tile, and more particularly to selectively collapsible non-adhesive tile supports configured for supporting and allowing repositioning of tiles before permanent installation.

The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application, to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.

By way of background, tile products of a variety of kinds (shapes and materials), and whether for horizontal floor or counter surfaces or vertical wall or other surfaces, are ubiquitous in the art. Such tiles may traditionally be ceramic, porcelain, stone, or other such material formed in square pieces and adhered in place on an underlying substrate such as concrete or backer board employing mortar, a form of cement that begins as a powder and once mixed with water in the right proportion becomes a paste-like bonding agent that can be applied between the substrate and tile and then harden to affix the tile in place. Such mortars can be messy and inconvenient and generally difficult to work with when both mixing and then troweling in position at a relatively uniform desired thickness to properly install the tile, taking care to not mix or spread too much mortar at once so as to allow sufficient time for tile placement before the mortar begins to set and becomes less workable or able to bond to the tile. Even quick-drying or -setting mortars may take on the order of four (4) hours to set, while standard mortars require twenty-four (24) hours or more. And only once the mortar has set and the tile has been sufficiently bonded to the substrate should any spacers between the tiles be removed and grout applied in the gaps between tiles, rendering the entire process quite time-consuming and labor-intensive. As such, the traditional process of installing tile has numerous drawbacks.

More recently, other means of tile installation have been proposed involving pressure-sensitive adhesives and the like. Indeed, an inventor in the present application is named in two commonly-owned patents entitled “Peel-and-Set Tile System”—U.S. Pat. No. 8,980,426 issued on Mar. 17, 2015 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,617,740 issued on Apr. 11, 2017—each directed to such a peel-and-set tile system including a contact adhesive array formed on the underside of a tile body for selective adherence to an underlying substrate, as well as related methods of manufacture and installation of such tiles. The “contact adhesive array” may be any appropriate pressure sensitive adhesive (“PSA”) or other such adhesive now known or later developed placed on the underside of the tile in any appropriate pattern suitable for bonding the tile to the substrate.

Another prior patent of note is U.S. Pat. No. 8,302,366 dated Nov. 6, 2012 to Taylor et al. and assigned to Custom Building Products, Inc., directed to a mortarless tile installation system and method for installing tiles to a substrate surface utilizing an adhesive mat having layers of adhesive and release layers arranged to allow the covering material to be initially positioned, and later repositioned to be permanently set. The adhesive mat includes a planar carrier member, one or more adhesive layers on at least one planar side of the planar carrier member, and at least one release layer of material removably covering the one or more adhesive layers. In one form, the adhesive mat includes a carrier sheet, first and second adhesive layers on opposing planar sides of the carrier sheet, and first and second release layers of material removably covering the two adhesive layers.

While such PSA or the like peel-and-set tile installation systems have a number of advantages over traditional mortar installations in terms of ease and speed of application, one challenge remaining is being able to conveniently and effectively reposition tiles, particularly as some tile formats have become increasingly larger and heavier and thus more difficult to manipulate or position exactly the first time and so more likely to require repositioning and being more difficult to do so based on their sheer size. This challenge is not met by Taylor in that the entire system is adhesive-based and so does not cater to or enable lateral, rotational, or sliding repositioning of tiles or any other such adjustment of the tile while in place on the substrate prior to permanent installation, instead requiring that the tile be pulled back up and replaced or repositioned each time an adjustment is required. What is thus needed and has heretofore been unavailable is an effective means of temporarily spacing a peel-and-set tile, and particularly its exposed or activated adhesive, from the underlying substrate while allowing for lateral or rotational movement of the tile along the substrate until the tile is in the desired position and is to be set or installed as by then pushing against the tile's top side to engage the adhesive on its underside with the substrate.

Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present invention teach certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the exemplary advantages described below.

The present invention solves the problems described above by providing a tile apparatus with a selectively collapsible non-adhesive support system. In at least one embodiment, the tile apparatus comprises a tile body having a top side and an opposite underside, a contact adhesive array affixed to the underside of the tile body, the contact adhesive array comprising at least one adhesive feature extending from the underside and defining an array height relative to the underside, and a support system affixed to the underside of the tile body offset from the contact adhesive array, the support system comprising at least one non-adhesive standoff positioned adjacent to the at least one adhesive feature and extending from the underside and having a standoff contact surface and defining a standoff height relative to the underside that is greater than the array height, the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system supporting the tile body and being selectively slidable relative to the substrate upon application of a lateral force to the tile body and selectively collapsible upon application of a collapsing force to the top side of the tile body toward the substrate, whereby the support system in a first operational mode of the apparatus slidably spaces the contact adhesive array from the substrate on which the apparatus is to be installed for ease of positioning and repositioning of the tile body relative to the substrate upon application of the lateral force, and further whereby the support system in a second operational mode of the apparatus allows the contact adhesive array to contact the substrate based on the application of the collapsing force to the top side of the tile body so as to selectively collapse the at least one non-adhesive standoff and thereby install the tile body on the substrate via the contact adhesive array.

Other objects, features, and advantages of aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of aspects of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate aspects of the present invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary tile apparatus, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative exemplary tile apparatus, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 3A is an end cross-sectional view of the exemplary tile apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along line 3A-3A thereof, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 3B is an enlarged partial end cross-sectional view thereof, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a further end cross-sectional view thereof in a first operational mode, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a reduced scale perspective view thereof in the first operational mode, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a reduced scale perspective view thereof now in a first operational mode, in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIG. 7A is a further end cross-sectional view thereof in the second operational mode, in accordance with at least one embodiment; and

FIG. 7B is an enlarged partial end cross-sectional view thereof in the second operational mode, in accordance with at least one embodiment.

The above described drawing figures illustrate aspects of the invention in at least one of its exemplary embodiments, which are further defined in detail in the following description. Features, elements, and aspects of the invention that are referenced by the same numerals in different figures represent the same, equivalent, or similar features, elements, or aspects, in accordance with one or more embodiments. More generally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are schematic in nature and are not to be taken literally or to scale in terms of material configurations, sizes, thicknesses, and other attributes of an apparatus according to aspects of the present invention and its components or features unless specifically set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion provides many exemplary embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.

While the inventive subject matter is susceptible of various modifications and alternative embodiments, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to any specific form disclosed, but on the contrary, the inventive subject matter is to cover all modifications, alternative embodiments, and equivalents falling within the scope of the claims.

Turning now to FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention. The apparatus 20 comprises, in the exemplary embodiment, a tile body 30 having a contact adhesive array 50 and a spaced apart support system 70 formed or installed on the underside 34 thereof, the contact adhesive array 50 having at least one adhesive feature 52 and the support system 70 having at least one non-adhesive standoff 72 configured to temporarily space the contact adhesive array 50 and its one or more adhesive features 52 from an underlying substrate S (FIG. 4 ) while allowing the tile body 30 to be slidably repositioned relative to the substrate S until the tile body 30 is in the desired position for installation on the substrate S, at which point a force applied to the top side 32 (FIG. 4 ) of the tile body 30 serves to collapse the at least one non-adhesive standoff 72 and allow the adhesive feature(s) 52 of the contact adhesive array 50 to make contact with the underlying substrate S. Though a particular rectangular or square tile configuration is shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the tile apparatus 20, and particularly the tile body 30, may comprise or be formed of or as any suitable architectural covering or material now known or later developed, of any appropriate material or geometry for a particular application, such that the tile apparatus 20 of the present invention is expressly not limited to any particular tile or other building, construction, architectural, or other such material or product, again, whether now known or later developed. By way of illustration and not limitation, the tile body 30 may be ceramic, porcelain, or stone tile, wood, laminate, or synthetic material, again, formed in virtually any geometry, including but not limited to square or rectangular, hexagonal, or planks or strips. As such, it is to be expressly understood that the size, shape, thickness, etc. of the exemplary tile body 30 shown in the figures is to be understood as merely illustrative of features and aspects of the present invention and non-limiting.

With continued reference to FIG. 1 and now also to FIG. 2 illustrating a second exemplary embodiment of a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention, the contact adhesive array 50 is again shown as comprising one or more adhesive feature(s) 52 installed on or affixed to or otherwise formed on the underside 34 of the tile body 30 so as to extend therefrom. In the exemplary embodiment, the adhesive features 52 comprise a series or arrangement of substantially parallel and offset lengthwise beads 54 with opposite substantially parallel and offset widthwise beads 56 at essentially opposite ends of the lengthwise beads 54. In this arrangement, it will be appreciated that the widthwise beads 56 and the outermost lengthwise beads 54 together form effectively a perimeter portion of the contact adhesive array 50 that substantially corresponds to the perimeter of the tile body 30, the outermost two lengthwise beads 54 corresponding to the respective lengthwise edges 36 of the tile body 30 and the widthwise beads 56 corresponding to the respective widthwise edges 38 of the tile body 30. Within such perimeter arrangement, the remaining offset lengthwise beads 54 run from one widthwise bead 56 to the other in completing the illustrated contact adhesive array 50. Once more, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that such array 50, and each adhesive feature 52 thereof, can take on a virtually infinite number or variety of configurations, such that the exemplary contact adhesive array 50 is to be understood as merely illustrative and non-limiting. By way of illustration and not limitation, the contact adhesive array 50 and any adhesive feature 52 thereof may be any one or a combination of a number of cured or pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) now known or later developed in the art, including but not limited to hot melt PSAs (“HMPSA”), asphalt-based PSAs (rubberized or otherwise), and acrylate-based PSAs, once more any such array 50 or feature 52 being in any appropriate geometry or pattern as needed or desired. Though not shown, a release or peel-off liner may be provided over the contact adhesive array 50 to protect it until it is ready to be used, or activated for use—such release liner may cover the entire underside 34 of the tile body 30 and so temporarily adhere at least or primarily to the support system 70 standoffs 72 or may cover the adhesive array 50 only as a single release liner sheet with cut-outs for the standoffs 72 or as release liner strips over each adhesive feature 52 that are to be individually removed to activate the contact adhesive array 50. Once again, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of such configurations and related materials, whether now known or later developed, may be employed in a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope.

Still with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the exemplary support system 70 formed on the underside 34 of the tile body 30 of the tile apparatus 20 is again shown as having at least one non-adhesive standoff 72 configured to temporarily space the contact adhesive array 50 and its one or more adhesive features 52 from an underlying substrate S (FIG. 4 ). In the first exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 each non-adhesive standoff 72 is formed as a square member or column, one in each corner of the underside 34 of the tile body 30 and one somewhat in the center of the underside 34 of the tile body 30, or five standoffs 72 total comprising the support system 70, so as to somewhat uniformly or evenly support the tile body 30 when it is placed on the substrate S. Whereas, in the second exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 each non-adhesive standoff 72 is formed as a rectangular member or rail, each placed lengthwise between adjacent lengthwise beads 54 of the illustrated contact adhesive array 50 substantially spanning from one widthwise bead 56 to the other. As illustrated, the contact adhesive array 50 comprises eight lengthwise beads 54 forming seven lengthwise gaps therebetween, such that with the exemplary rectangular or strip standoff 72 being placed in every other such gap, a total of four such standoffs 72 are shown as employed as comprising the support system 70, with three of the lengthwise gaps empty, so as to again somewhat uniformly or evenly support the tile body 30 when it is placed on the substrate S. Those skilled in the art will once more appreciate that a virtually infinite variety of support system 70 configurations or standoff 72 patterns or arrangements are possible according to aspects of the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. By way of further illustration and not limitation, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 , a greater or fewer number of the column-type standoffs 72 may be employed, and the standoffs 72 themselves may be circular or other shapes rather than the square shape shown, and in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 , a greater or fewer number of the strip-type standoffs 72 may be employed, such as three instead of four, with the third standoff 72 centered width-wise on the underside 34 of the tile body 30, between the fourth and fifth lengthwise beads 54, or instead a strip-type standoff 72 may be placed in each gap between lengthwise beads 54, or seven standoffs 72 total in this example, so as to substantially cover the underside 34 of the tile body 30, more about which is said below in connection with FIGS. 7A and 7B.

Various means of applying both the contact adhesive array 50 and the support system 70 to the underside 34 of the tile body 30 may be employed, whether during production of the tile apparatus 20 or post-production (e.g., in the field) and whether now known or later developed. When applied on-site the support system 70, or the individual non-adhesive standoffs 72, may be provided in a variety of pre-cut, self-adhesive shapes, strips, or tape formats. In that regard, it is specifically noted that in any case, and whether factory or field installed, the non-adhesive standoffs 72 may be affixed to the underside 34 of the tile body 30 using any appropriate fastening method or fastener now known or later developed, including but not limited to adhesive, but at all times the standoff contact surface 74, or the surface of the standoff 72 opposite the underside surface 34, would be substantially non-adhesive, again, to aid in repositioning the tile apparatus 20 in use, as explained further below in connection with FIGS. 4-6 . The size and number of non-adhesive standoffs 72 needed or desired will vary depending on the structural resistance of the standoff material used and the size and weight of the architectural material or tile body 30 to be installed. In any case, and particularly with relatively larger format tiles, sheets, and slabs, both the contact adhesive array 50 and the support system 70 may be applied at the factory as part of the manufacturing process.

Turning to FIG. 3A, there is shown a cross-sectional view of a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention substantially as shown in FIG. 1 . As a threshold matter, it is noted that the widthwise adhesive bead 56 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) is not shown in the end cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4, 7A and 7B for simplicity and clarity. As seen in FIG. 3A and the enlarged view of FIG. 3B, the lengthwise beads 54 of the contact adhesive array 50 are depicted as having a somewhat curved or semi-circular profile, though it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that such is merely illustrative and not necessary. Similarly, the non-adhesive standoff 72 of the support system 70 is depicted as having a somewhat planar or square profile, which again is merely illustrative. Further, while the adhesive beads 54 are shown as being substantially solid or non-porous, though it will be appreciated that such are effectively semi-solid and in any case need not necessarily be homogeneous throughout or without any voids, the standoffs 72 are shown as being porous or having voids, as in the case of a foam or other such material. The standoffs 72 of the support system 70 may utilize or be formed from a variety of chemically formulated memory foams and foamable glues, whether now known or later developed, whether alone or in any combination, and whether applied during production or post-production. Essentially, the construction of a particular standoff 72 will depend on the type and size and weight of the intended tile or finish and the intended installation conditions, such as the materials to be bonded and the substrates that the finishes will be applied over. For most interior wall and floor applications, the support system 70 will consist of what is commonly described as water-resistant, closed-cell foam or rubber. Exemplary materials include neoprene (polychloroprene or pc-rubber), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) cellular rubber foam, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) thermoplastic rubbers, and TPO (thermoplastic olefin or polyolefin) polymer/filler blends usually consisting of thermoplastic, an elastomer or rubber, and a filler. Again, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any appropriate material for the support system 70 and the individual standoffs 72 now known or later developed may be employed in a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. The chemical formulation of the foam or rubber will determine its “memory” and structural resistance “crushability.” The structural resistance or crushability of the foam or rubber is to be sufficient to support the weight of the material to be installed while the foam's ability to return to its original shape and size will not be sufficient to overcome the adhered bond of the contact adhesive array 50 between the bonded material or tile body 30 and the substrate S (FIG. 4 ). Thus, relative to the size and weight of the tile body 30, the support system 70 and specifically the one or more non-adhesive standoffs 72 are configured to have sufficient mechanical strength or integrity to support the weight of the tile body 30 itself while then being capable of collapsing when additional force is applied, as explained further below in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7A and 7B. More generally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide range of materials and material properties and related geometries or configurations are possible according to aspects of the present invention and are to be understood as being within the scope of the invention. Depending on the material selected for both the contact adhesive array 50 and the support system 70, related manufacturing considerations, and the like, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any process for forming, assembling with, adhering to, incorporating on or in, or otherwise operably arranging the at least one adhesive feature 52 and the at least one non-adhesive standoff 72 on the underside 34 of a particular tile body 30 are possible, including but not limited to depositing, molding or over-molding, extruding or co-extruding, and bonding; while any such assembly technique would inherently or typically be substantially permanent, in some embodiments it may be possible or desirable, for example, to have the one or more adhesive feature 52 and/or non-adhesive standoff 72 be removably or non-permanently engaged with the tile underside 34, such as to facilitate removal and repositioning any such components, as when a tile or other finish material is to be cut and placed around or adjacent to an object (corner, cabinet, bathroom fixture, etc.), for example. Optionally, either or both the adhesive feature 52 and the non-adhesive standoff 72 may be further formed from or treated with a material having antimicrobial and/or antibacterial and other such properties to aid in maintaining the cleanliness of the installation over time, particular in damp environments such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, or kitchens. In any case, the selected materials of the adhesive feature 52 and the non-adhesive standoff 72 are substantially water-resistant to further maintain the tile apparatus 20 for safe and effective installation over time.

With continued reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, dimensionally, it will be appreciated that the standoff height 78, or the perpendicular distance from the underside 34 of the tile body 30 to the standoff contact surface 74 in the initial “non-crushed” state of the standoff 72 is greater than the array height 58, or the perpendicular distance from the underside 34 of the tile body 30 to the top or apex of the array adhesive feature 52, such that the support system 70 spaces the contact adhesive array 50 from the underlying substrate S (FIG. 4 ) as the tile body 30 is positioned on the substrate S prior to its final installation, more about which is said below in connection with FIGS. 4-6 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the nominal array height 58 prior to assembly or “at rest” is approximately two to three millimeters (2-3 mm), with the nominal standoff height 78 preferably being at least approximately one to two millimeters (1-2 mm) higher than the array height 58, or here in the range of approximately three to five millimeters (3-5 mm). In the installed condition of the tile apparatus 20, both the contact adhesive array 50 and the support system 70 may be squeezed or crushed down to a height or thickness of approximately one to two millimeters (1-2 mm) in effectively bonding the tile body 30 to the underlying substrate S. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that all such dimensions or heights or thicknesses are merely illustrative of features and aspects of the present invention and are expressly non-limiting. Moreover, it is again to also be appreciated that the drawings are schematic in nature and are not to be taken literally or to scale in terms of material configurations, sizes, thicknesses, and other attributes of a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention.

Referring next to FIGS. 4 and 5 , in use of a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention, and taking for example a flooring installation scenario involving a substantially horizontal, flat substrate S, the tile apparatus 20 may be inverted or oriented such that the underside 34 of the tile body 30 is facing down toward the substrate S and the apparatus 20 is then placed thereon. As shown in FIG. 4 , in this initial placement condition, the support system 70, and the non-adhesive standoffs 72, specifically, once again spaces the contact adhesive array 50 from the substrate S. It will be appreciated that any release liner (not shown) that is initially installed over all or part of the tile underside 34, particularly over the contact adhesive array 50, is first removed so as to activate the array 50 prior to placement of the tile 20. Again, the installer I wishing to not yet contact the substrate S with the adhesive array 50 as the tile body 30 is initially placed, it will be appreciated that the increased height of the support system 70 enables this, which in turn enables the installer I to initially place and then reposition the tile 20 as by sliding or rotating the tile body 30 until the tile 20 is in the desired position as illustrated in FIG. 5 , such sliding or rotation of the tile body 30 and related lateral force being indicated by arrow A1. It will be appreciated that such lateral force A1 is effectively along the tile body 30, whether applied at an edge 36, 38 or even the top side 32, in either case somewhat parallel to the substrate S, or more parallel than perpendicular, so as to slide or rotate the tile body 30 but not yet apply enough force toward the substrate S to collapse the support system 70. In terms of the standoff contact surface 74 being “non-adhesive” or “non-tacky,” as facilitating such sliding or rotational movement of the tile body 30 upon application of a lateral force A1, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any material chosen for the support system 70 and the standoffs 72 specifically will not necessarily be frictionless but by not being purposefully adhesive or tacky will be substantially or sufficiently friction-free or reduced-friction to facilitate relative movement between the standoff contact surface 74 and the substrate S without necessarily having to lift the tile apparatus 20 away from or off of the substrate S, or separate the standoff contact surface 74 from the substrate S. Optionally, a surface treatment or layer (not shown) may be applied on or over or otherwise formed on the standoff contact surface 74 to further facilitate such relatively frictionless movement or engagement between the non-adhesive standoff(s) 72 and the substrate S.

Turning then to FIGS. 6 and 7A and 7B, once the tile apparatus 20 is in the desired position on the substrate S, the installer I may simply apply a downward force or a force toward the underlying substrate S, as indicated by arrow A2, to collapse the support system 70 and its one or more non-adhesive standoffs 72 to install the tile 20. As best seen in the enlarged view of FIG. 7B, such downward or collapsing force A2 overcomes the structure of the support system 70, or specifically the non-adhesive standoff(s) 72, so as to cause the standoff(s) 72 to at least partially collapse or “crush” and thereby allow the contact adhesive array 50, or specifically the adhesive feature(s) 52, to contact and bond with the substrate S. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in collapsing or compressing the standoff(s) 72, they are forced to spread out laterally, filling more of the space between adjacent adhesive features 52 or in the illustrated view the offset lengthwise beads 54. In turn, the collapsed standoff(s) 72 become a part of the permanent tile installation and thus to the extent the material of the support system 70 has any thermal or acoustic insulation or dampening characteristics, it will be further appreciated that the overall insulative characteristics of the installed tile or other finish are improved due to the incorporation of the support system 70 as part of a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that with the present tile apparatus 20 not only is no messy and inconvenient mortar required for installation, but each tile 20 in a floor or other application can be placed and easily repositioned as desired before ever permanently installing any of the tiles 20. Accordingly, a tile apparatus 20 according to aspects of the present invention has a number of benefits in construction and use over other known tile and tile installation arrangements. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other combinations and variations of features and aspects of the tile apparatus 20 of the present invention beyond those shown and described are possible without departing from its spirit and scope, such that the exemplary embodiments are expressly to be understood as illustrative and non-limiting.

Aspects of the present specification may also be described as follows:

1. A tile apparatus for installation on a substrate, the apparatus comprising a tile body having a top side and an opposite underside, a contact adhesive array affixed to the underside of the tile body, the contact adhesive array comprising at least one adhesive feature extending from the underside and defining an array height relative to the underside, and a support system affixed to the underside of the tile body offset from the contact adhesive array, the support system comprising at least one non-adhesive standoff positioned adjacent to the at least one adhesive feature and extending from the underside and having a standoff contact surface and defining a standoff height relative to the underside that is greater than the array height, the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system supporting the tile body and being selectively slidable relative to the substrate upon application of a lateral force to the tile body and selectively collapsible upon application of a collapsing force to the top side of the tile body toward the substrate, whereby the support system in a first operational mode of the apparatus slidably spaces the contact adhesive array from the substrate on which the apparatus is to be installed for ease of positioning and repositioning of the tile body relative to the substrate upon application of the lateral force, and further whereby the support system in a second operational mode of the apparatus allows the contact adhesive array to contact the substrate based on the application of the collapsing force to the top side of the tile body so as to selectively collapse the at least one non-adhesive standoff and thereby install the tile body on the substrate via the contact adhesive array.

2. The apparatus of embodiment 1 wherein the array height is defined as the perpendicular distance from the underside of the tile body to an apex of the at least one adhesive feature, and the standoff height is defined as the perpendicular distance from the underside of the tile body to the standoff contact surface of the at least one non-adhesive standoff.

3. The apparatus of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2 wherein in the first operational mode the standoff height is at least approximately one to two millimeters (1-2 mm) greater than the array height.

4. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-3 wherein in the first operational mode the standoff height is approximately three to five millimeters (3-5 mm) and the array height is approximately two to three millimeters (2-3 mm).

5. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-4 wherein in the second operational mode the standoff height and the array height are substantially the same.

6. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-5 wherein in the second operational mode both the standoff height and the array height are approximately one to two millimeters (1-2 mm).

7. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-6 wherein the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array comprises offset lengthwise beads and offset widthwise beads at opposite ends of the lengthwise beads.

8. The apparatus of embodiment 7 wherein the tile body comprises opposite lengthwise edges and opposite widthwise edges so as to define a tile body perimeter, and the widthwise beads and outermost lengthwise beads together form a perimeter portion of the contact adhesive array that substantially corresponds to the tile body perimeter, the outermost lengthwise beads corresponding to the respective lengthwise edges of the tile body and the widthwise beads corresponding to the respective widthwise edges of the tile body.

9. The apparatus of embodiment 8 wherein additional lengthwise beads span between opposite widthwise beads in forming the contact adhesive array.

10. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-9 wherein the contact adhesive array and any adhesive feature thereof may be any one or a combination of a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) selected from the group consisting of hot melt PSA, asphalt-based PSA, and acrylate-based PSA.

11. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-10 wherein the standoff contact surface is substantially non-adhesive.

12. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-11 wherein the standoff contact surface is reduced-friction to facilitate relative movement between the standoff contact surface and the substrate.

13. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-12 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is formed as a column.

14. The apparatus of embodiment 13 wherein a plurality of non-adhesive standoffs formed as columns are placed at corners of the underside of the tile body.

15. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-14 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is formed as a rail.

16. The apparatus of embodiment 15 wherein a plurality of non-adhesive standoffs formed as rails are placed lengthwise along the underside of the tile body.

17. The apparatus of embodiment 16 wherein the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array comprises offset lengthwise beads and offset widthwise beads at opposite ends of the lengthwise beads, and each non-adhesive standoff is positioned on the underside of the tile body between adjacent lengthwise beads.

18. The apparatus of embodiment 17 wherein a non-adhesive standoff is positioned between each pair of adjacent lengthwise beads, whereby the underside of the tile body is substantially covered.

19. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-18 wherein in the second operational mode of the apparatus the collapsed at least one non-adhesive standoff becomes a part of the permanent installation of the tile body and thus adds to the overall insulative characteristics of the installed apparatus.

20. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-19 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is porous.

21. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-20 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is water-resistant, closed-cell foam.

22. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-21 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene (neoprene), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic olefin (TPO).

23. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-22 wherein the contact adhesive array is applied to the underside of the tile body during production.

24. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-22 wherein the contact adhesive array is applied to the underside of the tile body after production.

25. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-24 wherein the support system is applied to the underside of the tile body during production.

26. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-24 wherein the support system is applied to the underside of the tile body after production.

27. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-26 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is formed as a pre-cut, self-adhesive member.

28. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-27 wherein the at least one adhesive feature is treated with an antimicrobial or antibacterial agent.

29. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-28 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is treated with an antimicrobial or antibacterial agent.

30. The apparatus of any of embodiments 1-29 wherein the tile body is selected from the group consisting of ceramic, porcelain, stone, wood, laminate, and synthetic material.

31. A method of employing a tile apparatus as defined in any one of embodiments 1-30, the method comprising the steps of placing the apparatus on a substrate with the underside of the tile body facing the substrate such that the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system spaces the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array from the substrate, repositioning the apparatus on the substrate as needed by laterally shifting the tile body relative to the substrate as enabled by the support system, and pushing the tile body toward the substrate to collapse the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system and allow the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array to contact the substrate and thereby install the tile body on the substrate via the contact adhesive array.

32. The method of embodiment 31 wherein the step of repositioning the apparatus comprises at least one of sliding or rotating the tile body.

33. The method of embodiment 31 or embodiment 32 further comprising installing the at least one non-adhesive standoff on the underside of the tile body to form the support system after production of the apparatus comprising the contact adhesive array.

34. A kit comprising a tile apparatus as defined in any one of embodiments 1-30.

35. The kit of embodiment 34 further comprising separate non-adhesive standoffs for post-production installation on the underside of the tile body.

36. The kit of embodiment 34 or embodiment 35 further comprising instructional material.

37. The kit of embodiment 36 wherein the instructional material provides instructions on how to perform the method as defined in any one of embodiments 31-33.

38. Use of a tile apparatus as defined in any one of embodiments 1-30 to install a tile without mortar while still allowing for repositioning the tile.

39. The use of embodiment 38 wherein the use comprises a method as defined in any one of embodiments 31-33.

In closing, regarding the exemplary embodiments of the present invention as shown and described herein, it will be appreciated that a tile apparatus is disclosed and configured for installing a tile without mortar while still allowing for repositioning the tile. Because the principles of the invention may be practiced in a number of configurations beyond those shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not in any way limited by the exemplary embodiments, but is able to take numerous forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the particular geometries and materials of construction disclosed, but may instead entail other functionally comparable structures or materials, now known or later developed, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Certain embodiments of the present invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventor(s) for carrying out the invention. Of course, variations on these described embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor(s) expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventor(s) intend for the present invention to be practiced otherwise than specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described embodiments in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Groupings of alternative embodiments, elements, or steps of the present invention are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member may be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other group members disclosed herein. It is anticipated that one or more members of a group may be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.

In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of components or ingredients, properties such as dimensions, weight, concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the inventive subject matter are to be understood as being modified in some instances by terms such as “about,” “approximately,” or “roughly.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are approximations, the numerical values set forth in any specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the inventive subject matter may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. The recitation of numerical ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value of a numerical range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.

Use of the terms “may” or “can” in reference to an embodiment or aspect of an embodiment also carries with it the alternative meaning of “may not” or “cannot.” As such, if the present specification discloses that an embodiment or an aspect of an embodiment may be or can be included as part of the inventive subject matter, then the negative limitation or exclusionary proviso is also explicitly meant, meaning that an embodiment or an aspect of an embodiment may not be or cannot be included as part of the inventive subject matter. In a similar manner, use of the term “optionally” in reference to an embodiment or aspect of an embodiment means that such embodiment or aspect of the embodiment may be included as part of the inventive subject matter or may not be included as part of the inventive subject matter. Whether such a negative limitation or exclusionary proviso applies will be based on whether the negative limitation or exclusionary proviso is recited in the claimed subject matter.

The terms “a,” “an,” “the” and similar references used in the context of describing the present invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, ordinal indicators—such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc.—for identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements, and do not indicate or imply a required or limited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated.

All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the inventive subject matter and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the inventive subject matter otherwise claimed. No language in the application should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

While aspects of the invention have been described with reference to at least one exemplary embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that the inventor(s) believe that the claimed subject matter is the invention. 

1. A tile apparatus for installation on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a tile body having a top side and an opposite underside, the tile body being rigid and selected from the group consisting of ceramic, porcelain, stone, wood, laminate, and synthetic material; a contact adhesive array affixed to the underside of the tile body, the contact adhesive array comprising at least one adhesive feature extending from the underside and defining an array height relative to the underside as the perpendicular distance from the underside of the tile body to an apex of the at least one adhesive feature; and a support system configured to be affixed to the underside of the tile body offset from the contact adhesive array in a secondary operation after production of the tile body with the contact adhesive array, the support system comprising at least one non-adhesive standoff configured to be positioned adjacent to the at least one adhesive feature and to extend from the underside and having a standoff contact surface and defining a standoff height relative to the underside as the perpendicular distance from the underside of the tile body to the standoff contact surface of the at least one non-adhesive standoff that is greater than the array height, the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system configured to support the tile body and be selectively slidable relative to the substrate upon installation of the at least one non-adhesive standoff on the underside of the tile body, positioning of the tile body adjacent to the substrate with the standoff contact surface of the at least one non-adhesive standoff in contact with the substrate, and application of a lateral force to the tile body, and the at least one non-adhesive standoff then being selectively collapsible upon application of a collapsing force to the top side of the tile body toward the substrate, whereby the support system in a first operational mode of the apparatus supports the tile body and slidably spaces the contact adhesive array from the substrate on which the apparatus is to be installed for ease of positioning and repositioning of the tile body relative to the substrate upon application of the lateral force, wherein in the first operational mode the standoff height is approximately three to five millimeters (3-5 mm) and the array height is approximately two to three millimeters (2-3 mm) such that the standoff height is at least approximately one to two millimeters (1-2 mm) greater than the array height, and further whereby the support system in a second operational mode of the apparatus allows the contact adhesive array to contact the substrate based on the application of the collapsing force to the top side of the tile body so as to selectively collapse the at least one non-adhesive standoff and thereby install the tile body on the substrate via the contact adhesive array, wherein in the second operational mode both the standoff height and the array height are approximately one to two millimeters (1-2 mm).
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. (canceled)
 6. (canceled)
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array comprises offset lengthwise beads and offset widthwise beads at opposite ends of the lengthwise beads.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein: the tile body comprises opposite lengthwise edges and opposite widthwise edges so as to define a tile body perimeter; and the widthwise beads and outermost lengthwise beads together form a perimeter portion of the contact adhesive array that substantially corresponds to the tile body perimeter, the outermost lengthwise beads corresponding to the respective lengthwise edges of the tile body and the widthwise beads corresponding to the respective widthwise edges of the tile body.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein additional lengthwise beads span between opposite widthwise beads in forming the contact adhesive array.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the contact adhesive array and any adhesive feature thereof may be any one or a combination of a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) selected from the group consisting of hot melt PSA, asphalt-based PSA, and acrylate-based PSA.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the standoff contact surface is substantially non-adhesive.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the standoff contact surface is reduced-friction to facilitate relative movement between the standoff contact surface and the substrate.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is formed as a column.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a plurality of non-adhesive standoffs formed as columns are configured to be placed at corners of the underside of the tile body.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is formed as a rail.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a plurality of non-adhesive standoffs formed as rails are configured to be placed lengthwise along the underside of the tile body.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein: the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array comprises offset lengthwise beads and offset widthwise beads at opposite ends of the lengthwise beads; and each non-adhesive standoff is configured to be positioned on the underside of the tile body between adjacent lengthwise beads.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein a non-adhesive standoff is configured to be positioned between each pair of adjacent lengthwise beads, whereby the underside of the tile body is substantially covered.
 19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein in the second operational mode of the apparatus the collapsed at least one non-adhesive standoff becomes a part of the permanent installation of the tile body and thus adds to the overall insulative characteristics of the installed apparatus.
 20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is porous.
 21. (canceled)
 22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene (neoprene), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic olefin (TPO).
 23. (canceled)
 24. (canceled)
 25. (canceled)
 26. (canceled)
 27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is formed as a pre-cut, self-adhesive member.
 28. (canceled)
 29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-adhesive standoff is treated with an antimicrobial or antibacterial agent.
 30. (canceled)
 31. A method of employing the tile apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: installing the at least one non-adhesive standoff on the underside of the tile body to form the support system in a secondary operation after production of the apparatus comprising the tile body and the contact adhesive array; placing the apparatus on a substrate with the underside of the tile body facing the substrate such that the standoff contact surface of the at least one non-adhesive standoff is in contact with the substrate and the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system spaces the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array from the substrate; repositioning the apparatus on the substrate as needed by laterally shifting the tile body relative to the substrate as enabled by the support system; and pushing the tile body toward the substrate to collapse the at least one non-adhesive standoff of the support system and allow the at least one adhesive feature of the contact adhesive array to contact the substrate and thereby install the tile body on the substrate via the contact adhesive array.
 32. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of repositioning the apparatus comprises at least one of sliding or rotating the tile body.
 33. (canceled)
 34. (canceled)
 35. (canceled)
 36. (canceled)
 37. (canceled)
 38. (canceled)
 39. (canceled) 